Guardians

Note: ((Hugs her reviewers)) I love you guys so so much! I am SO sorry that this update took so long… I've been very busy. Enjoy!

Chapter Fifty-One: Too Much to Do

Karmina was very tired the next morning, and she didn't really feel much more accomplished. She didn't even know if Mai was going to come back or not. Trying to push that aside, she thought about what else her heart felt was undone. Naturally, there as a lot, because her shy personality had gotten in the way of so many things.

The orphanage. No matter how she tried, she couldn't get away from that place. Everything in her life seemed to stem from that wretched place. In a way, she even had to thank it for bringing her Seto, since she'd been headed there when she'd first spoken to him.

"I never told her how much I hated it. Never stood up to the others. But today… I will."

Determination filled her veins as she headed down to the kitchen (getting lost three times in the process).

"Seto. Good morning." She said brightly to the CEO, who was sitting beside his younger brother, Mokuba.

"Karmina, what are you doing here?" Mokuba asked.

"Seto?" she asked him. "You didn't… tell your brother?" A slight pain throbbed somewhere in her chest.

"Mokuba, you must have noticed that I was subdued these past months. That is because I wasn't being honest with myself about Karmina. I love her."


Though his words had been slightly halted, as if he couldn't believe he was saying them, the emotion in his words was clear.

"She is here because she has no where else to go, and because she's my girlfriend."

Mokuba smiled. "That's great Seto!" He beamed up at Karmina. "I though he acted kind of weird around you."

She laughed, cheeks lighting up like fire, and sat down to eat, on Seto's other side. He looked up from his laptop as she sat down, looked at her for a moment, looked back at the laptop, and then kissed her. Her cheeks turned several shades darker, and she couldn't find anything to say, so she didn't.

"I'm going to the orphanage today, Seto," she told him after some time. "To settle things."

He nodded. "Taking all of Wingweaver's words to heart, aren't you?"

"Seto… I feel… that this is truly important. You will try… won't you?"

He looked up again, into pleading eyes. The ice in his gaze melted a little more, and he gave his peculiar attempt at a smile. "All right."

Mokuba was watching all of this with amazement, and appeared to be speechless.

"Thank you Seto," she said softly, her mind already starting to comprehend the situation she was about to throw herself into. "I guess I'll head down there now."

She stood up to go, and he reached out and took her hand. "Good luck," he said sincerely.

She smiled brightly. "Something tells me I'll need more than luck for this to work."

The orphanage was as foreboding a structure as ever, tall and somehow, in all its simplicity, more cold than even Kaiba Corp. She swallowed and went through the gate.

The orphanage woman glared at her. "What to you want, girl? I banned you from this place!"

And suddenly, Karmina felt rage boiling inside her so much that it managed to surpass her shyness. This woman had made her life terrible, and nearly ruined it completely. If it hadn't been for Seto, it might never have been fixed.

"Oh, believe me, I have no real desire to be here. But unfortunately for you, we have unfinished business. I never really got the chance to tell you… how much I HATE this place, the food, the chores, the other children, and especially, YOU!"

"You have no right to speak to me in such a manner, girl! I raised you, and I took care of you, and this is how you repay me? Having an affair with Seto Kaiba and then coming here to scream in my face?"

"Seto and I did not have an 'affair', as you call it. We never have and we never will. I love him, and he loves me, and that is what we have. As for screaming in your face, yes I am, and that is all you ever did to me. If you raised me, it was to be a servant and incapable of speaking up for myself."

The woman's face turned red in anger, and she looked about ready to strangle Karmina.

"Why you ungrateful little-"

"I'm glad we've had this little talk. Hopefully I'm never to see you again. Have a miserable life."

She turned on her heel and left, feeling refreshed and happy. Things were brightening up already.

End note: Hope you enjoyed that chappie! Sorry it took so long!